Jackie Northamhttp://wmra.org
enAfghan Government Says Taliban Leader Mullah Omar Is Deadhttp://wmra.org/post/afghan-government-says-taliban-leader-mullah-omar-dead
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Afghan+Government+Says+Taliban+Leader+Mullah+Omar+Is+Dead&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA4NDQ0NzQzMDEzMjA3NjYzMThiMzQ4ZQ004)"/></div><p>Wed, 29 Jul 2015 20:38:00 +0000Jackie Northam58846 at http://wmra.orgMalaysia, Cuba Taken Off U.S. Human Trafficking Blacklisthttp://wmra.org/post/malaysia-cuba-taken-us-human-trafficking-blacklist
The U.S. State Department has taken Malaysia and Cuba off its list of worst human trafficking offenders — which many human rights advocates and U.S. lawmakers say has more to do with politics than facts on the ground.<p>The department's latest annual <a href="http://www.state.gov/j/tip/rls/tiprpt/2015/index.htm">Trafficking in Persons Report</a> also upgraded Uzbekistan and Angola, while Belize, Belarus and South Sudan were among 18 nations downgraded this year.Mon, 27 Jul 2015 19:41:00 +0000Jackie Northam58750 at http://wmra.orgIs N. Korea Facing A Famine Or Just Seeking More Aid? http://wmra.org/post/n-korea-facing-famine-or-just-seeking-more-aid
North Korea knows a little bit about drought and famine.Sat, 18 Jul 2015 10:13:00 +0000Jackie Northam58379 at http://wmra.orgIs N. Korea Facing A Famine Or Just Seeking More Aid? Lifting Sanctions Will Release $100 Billion To Iran. Then What?http://wmra.org/post/lifting-sanctions-will-release-100-billion-iran-then-what
$100 billion: That's roughly how much the U.S. Treasury Department says Iran stands to recover once sanctions are lifted under the new nuclear deal. The money comes from Iranian oil sales and has been piling up in some international banks over the past few years. But there are questions about what Iran will do with this windfall.<p>Oil is one of Iran's most valuable commodities. And, sanctions or no sanctions, Iran found buyers over the past few years. Month after month, millions of dollars of oil revenues were added to its ledgers. But Iran hasn't been able to get its hands on that cash.Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:26:00 +0000Jackie Northam58310 at http://wmra.orgLifting Sanctions Will Release $100 Billion To Iran. Then What?Brazil Tries To Rebuild Relations With U.S. After NSA Spying Scandalhttp://wmra.org/post/brazil-tries-rebuild-relations-us-after-nsa-spying-scandal
It's rare that a world leader will cancel a planned state visit to the White House, but that's what happened two years ago when Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff found out that the U.S.Tue, 30 Jun 2015 09:19:00 +0000Jackie Northam57577 at http://wmra.orgBrazil Tries To Rebuild Relations With U.S. After NSA Spying ScandalAnxious About China, Asian Nations Buy More U.S. Military Hardwarehttp://wmra.org/post/anxious-about-china-asian-nations-buy-more-us-military-hardware
Southeast Asia is becoming a booming market for U.S. defense companies. Countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand are spending billions to upgrade and expand their defense systems. At the heart of this shopping spree is anxiety over China.<p>But American defense companies have plenty of competition.<p>Southeast Asian countries have been steadily building up their defense systems over the past decade — some more than others.Tue, 09 Jun 2015 19:36:00 +0000Jackie Northam56672 at http://wmra.orgAnxious About China, Asian Nations Buy More U.S. Military HardwareAs The Arctic Opens Up, The U.S. Is Down To A Single Icebreakerhttp://wmra.org/post/arctic-opens-us-down-single-icebreaker
Melting ice in the Arctic is creating opportunities for access to oil and gas, and shipping lanes. But the area is still mostly frozen and navigating the inhospitable region on top of the world still requires an icebreaker, the heavy duty ships that are able to crash through massive layers of ice.<p>The U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for search-and-rescue missions, as well as protecting the environment and defending U.S. sovereignty. The U.S.Mon, 01 Jun 2015 20:12:00 +0000Jackie Northam56333 at http://wmra.orgAs The Arctic Opens Up, The U.S. Is Down To A Single IcebreakerOil Prices Go Down, Russia's Gold Buying Goes Up http://wmra.org/post/oil-prices-go-down-russias-gold-buying-goes
It's been a rough ride for the Russian economy and it keeps getting worse. Low oil prices helped push the ruble to another record low on Friday. This spate of bad economic news is probably just accelerating an existing trend: Russia's purchase of gold at an astounding rate.<p>Russia's central bank bought more than 130 tons of gold this year. Last year, it bought about 75 tons.Sat, 13 Dec 2014 13:12:00 +0000Jackie Northam48956 at http://wmra.orgOil Prices Go Down, Russia's Gold Buying Goes Up For World's Oil Exporters, Falling Prices Have A Domino Effecthttp://wmra.org/post/worlds-oil-exporters-falling-prices-have-domino-effect
Imagine you're sitting back one evening, planning your holiday shopping list, knowing that every day you wait to get to the shops, the value of your money will be losing ground.<p>That's what's happening in places like Russia, Venezuela, Nigeria and other nations that rely heavily on oil exports.<p>Oil was more than $100 a barrel at the start of the summer. Now it's around $70 a barrel, and many forecasts say it could go lower still.<p>Falling oil prices have been good news for consumers and businesses here in the U.S. and in the many countries around the world that import oil.Fri, 05 Dec 2014 08:24:00 +0000Jackie Northam48596 at http://wmra.orgFor World's Oil Exporters, Falling Prices Have A Domino EffectWhy Does Saudi Arabia Seem So Comfortable With Falling Oil Prices?http://wmra.org/post/why-does-saudi-arabia-seem-so-comfortable-falling-oil-prices
Oil prices continue to tumble: down about 25 percent since mid-June to a four-year low, and many analysts believe there is no end in sight.<p>While that's good for consumers and most businesses in the U.S., the falling price is bad for oil-exporting countries such as Russia, Venezuela, Iran and Iraq.<p>And blame — or credit — for the plummeting prices is falling squarely on Saudi Arabia.<p>The kingdom, often called the "central banker of oil," is still the key player in oil prices, says Rachel Bronson, author of <em>Thicker Than Oil: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia</em>.<p>"The Tue, 28 Oct 2014 18:15:00 +0000Jackie Northam47040 at http://wmra.orgWhy Does Saudi Arabia Seem So Comfortable With Falling Oil Prices?